Washington, DC – Congressman Howard L. Berman, Ranking Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, released the following statement in reaction to reports David Kato, a Ugandan gay rights advocate, has been killed.

“I am extremely disturbed by recent reports that David Kato, a Ugandan gay rights advocate, has been killed. It is my understanding that details of this tragedy are still being understood, but I encourage local Ugandan police to conduct a thorough investigation. If Mr. Kato was in fact targeted because of his sexual orientation or his fight for equality, it must be made clear that hate crimes of this sort cannot and must not be tolerated in any nation.”